Pope Francis: Migrant children must be 'Welcomed and protected'

Pope Francis directly addressed the growing crisis surrounding unaccompanied children on the U.S. border this morning, speaking up on behalf of the young immigrants and calling on the international community to do more to care for their needs.

In a message sent to the Mexico-Holy See Colloquium on Migration and Development, the first Argentinian pope called for an immediate humanitarian response for the roughly 50,000 unaccompanied minors who have crossed the U.S. border this year.

“I would also like to draw attention to the tens of thousands of children who migrate alone, unaccompanied, to escape poverty and violence: This is a category of migrants from Central America and Mexico itself who cross the border with the United States under extreme conditions and in pursuit of a hope that in most cases turns out to be vain,” he said. “They are increasing day by day. This humanitarian emergency requires, as a first urgent measure, these children be welcomed and protected.”

Francis also noted that, in addition to a robust relief effort by those on the U.S. side of the border, the international community should also move to address the vicious cycles of violence and poverty that are spurring the children to flee their countries of origin.

"How many divisions has the Pope?" Stalin famously asked, and the answer now is: "More than you can deal with, Iosif."

This is not a shot across the Americans' bow: it's a broadside below their waterline. Never mind Messi—Pope Francis is the Argentine of the century.

We are now well into the climate-driven Anthropocene Age, when birds and kids alike are migrating out of the tropics into the temporarily temperate zones. People are drowning within sight of Florida and Italy in hopes of escape, and it is simply not going to change because we feel upset and threatened about it.

China has already undergone an enormous demographic upheaval as a quarter of a billion migrant workers move wherever they might find work and shelter. Our turn has arrived, and since we can't stop it, we might as well be good at dealing with it.

Pope Francis directly addressed the growing crisis surrounding unaccompanied children on the U.S. border this morning, speaking up on behalf of the young immigrants and calling on the international community to do more to care for their needs.

In a message sent to the Mexico-Holy See Colloquium on Migration and Development, the first Argentinian pope called for an immediate humanitarian response for the roughly 50,000 unaccompanied minors who have crossed the U.S. border this year.

“I would also like to draw attention to the tens of thousands of children who migrate alone, unaccompanied, to escape poverty and violence: This is a category of migrants from Central America and Mexico itself who cross the border with the United States under extreme conditions and in pursuit of a hope that in most cases turns out to be vain,” he said. “They are increasing day by day. This humanitarian emergency requires, as a first urgent measure, these children be welcomed and protected.”

Francis also noted that, in addition to a robust relief effort by those on the U.S. side of the border, the international community should also move to address the vicious cycles of violence and poverty that are spurring the children to flee their countries of origin.

"How many divisions has the Pope?" Stalin famously asked, and the answer now is: "More than you can deal with, Iosif."

This is not a shot across the Americans' bow: it's a broadside below their waterline. Never mind Messi—Pope Francis is the Argentine of the century.

We are now well into the climate-driven Anthropocene Age, when birds and kids alike are migrating out of the tropics into the temporarily temperate zones. People are drowning within sight of Florida and Italy in hopes of escape, and it is simply not going to change because we feel upset and threatened about it.

China has already undergone an enormous demographic upheaval as a quarter of a billion migrant workers move wherever they might find work and shelter. Our turn has arrived, and since we can't stop it, we might as well be good at dealing with it.